Top 10 easy origami crafts for kids

Origami is the Japanese word for paper folding. ORI means to fold and KAMI means paper. Together, they form the word, “origami. Origami involves creating different paper art or shapes entirely made by folding it. Origami as an art and craft activity is easy and hassle free because it only involves paper folding and no other accessory is required for this. You can just grab a newspaper and start doing this activity.

1. Origami boats: Making paper boats is synonymous with the arrival of monsoons. Kids love putting their boats in little puddles of water.

Instructions: Take a square piece of paper, and fold into half. Open the paper and cut it along the just formed crease. Take one of the triangles and fold into half and then open. Now take the top corner and bring it down to the base of the triangle. Fold the bottom corners upwards to meet together in the middle. Fold the bottom corner up to the centre of the model. Then turn this model over. Your boat is ready.

2. Origami snake: This one is just like the way paper buntings are made.

Instructions: Take two strips of elongated paper and join them using glue, forming the alphabet ‘L’. Now fold the bottom strip over the top one and. Repeat this again with the bottom strip. Continue doing this until the strips are finished and you reach the end of it. Now seal the end by glue. Cut a snake shaped head and tongue from the paper and glue it onto the last fold. Make eyes and nostrils with a sketch pen.

3. Origami tulips: Paste these paper tulips and make your own greeting card. A handmade greeting card wins hands down any day than readymade cards.

Instructions: With the colored side facing down, fold your paper on the diagonal to make a triangle. Bring the bottom right corner up and to the right of the centre point. Repeat with the left corner, bringing it up and to the left of the centre point. Flip the paper over. Fold the side and bottom points in just a bit, to create a more rounded tulip shape.

4. Origami fan: This one is the easiest to make. We often make fans whenever we feel warm or when we are outdoors, and this one is the kids favorite SUPW (Socially Useful Productive Work) crafts at school.

Instructions: Start with a piece of paper. Fold about one cm of paper up to the bottom. Flip the paper over and fold 1 cm of paper again. Repeat the above-mentioned steps again, until all you get is one long vertical paper model.

5. Origami fortune teller: This one, in particular, is made by kids in classrooms and is one of the oldest and best origami shapes.

Instructions: Start with a square shaped paper. Fold it along the vertical axis and also along the horizontal axis. Crease well and then open the folds. Now do the same along both the diagonal axis. Now take the bottom right corner and bring it to the midpoint of the square. Repeat this step with all the corners. Flip the paper over, you should now have a diamond shape. Write the different fortunes in each of the 8 different quadrants. After you have written them, fold each corner to the center. Now write numbers from 1-to-3 in each of the triangular areas. Flip the paper over. Now open the paper, you have to create room for your thumb and index finger to play this fortune game.

6. Origami drinking cups: These will serve as a perfect thing when your kids are playing pretend play

Instructions: Start with your paper white side up. Fold in half. Fold the top corner down to the baseline. Now unfold it again. Fold the bottom left-hand corner up to the crease line. Fold the bottom right-hand corner up to the opposite side. Fold the front flap to the base. Now fold the top flap backward. Open your cup by making space with your hands.

7. Origami paper lanterns: These can be used to adorn your house during the festivals. And can also serve as a perfect gift to your friends and family.

Instructions: Take an A4 size paper and fold it in half. Now take a scissor and make nice long incisions almost to the edge of the paper. Please do this with the help of your parents. Once done, open the sheet and fold it along the vertical axis and paste it using a glue or a staple pin on both the sides. Take a strip of the paper and make the handle of the lantern. And your lantern is ready.

8. Origami hats: This one can actually be put to use at your kids fancy dress or a stand-up act their schools.

Instructions: Take a rectangular piece of paper, fold into half and then open it. Fold the top down to the bottom edge. Fold the top corners down to the line in the centre. You will now have a triangle formation with a rectangle as its base. Now fold the rectangle upwards, until its middle part. Now fold one-half of the rectangle at each side (front and back). Open the hat out to shape it. Your hat is ready.

9. Origami cats: Origami animals best serve the purpose of hand puppets, plus when you want to make learning a fun time for your kids. This origami cat does just that.

Instructions: Take a square piece of paper. Now by taking one corner of the square, fold it inwards, making a triangle shape with it. Now cut along the sides of the triangle. You will now have a small square piece. Fold this piece in half to form a triangle, and then fold again to get an even smaller triangle. Now open this and you will have a central line. Now fold the base of the triangle taking it to the top. Do this for both the sides of the middle line. Turn the paper over and turn the top of the tip inside. This will serve as the head. Now make the eyes, mouth, and mustaches of your cat with a sketch pen. Your cat is ready.

10. Origami boxes: These very big, but come as a rescue to store you little daily baubles or your little one’s bits and pieces.

Instructions: Start with a square piece of paper, plain side up. Fold the paper in half. Fold the top corners toward the bottom point, then open to create these creases. Fold both layers of the bottom point up to the top of the model, then open. This is one completed unit, You need three. Insert into one another.

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